Introduction
: In 2003/4 the Information Management Research Institute,
Northumbria University, conducted a research project to identify the barriers
to e-learning for health professionals and students. The project also established
possible ways to overcome these barriers. The North of England Workforce
Development Confederation funded the project.
Methodology
: The project comprised a systematic review of the literature on
barriers to and solutions/critical success factors for e-learning in the health field.
Fifty-seven references were suitable for analysis. This review was supplemented by
a questionnaire survey of learners and an interview study of learning providers
to ensure that data identified from the literature were grounded in reality.
Results
: The main barriers are: requirement for change; costs; poorly designed
packages; inadequate technology; lack of skills; need for a component of faceto-
face teaching; time intensive nature of e-learning; computer anxiety.
A range of solutions can solve these barriers. The main solutions are: standardization;
strategies; funding; integration of e-learning into the curriculum;
blended teaching; user friendly packages; access to technology; skills training;
support; employers paying e-learning costs; dedicated work time for e-learning.
Conclusions
: The authors argue that librarians can play an important role in
e-learning: providing support and support materials; teaching information
skills; managing and providing access to online information resources; producing
their own e-learning packages; assisting in the development of other packages.